The present disclosure relates to a destaticizing device and an image forming apparatus incorporating one. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a destaticizing device including a destaticizing member with a plurality of destaticizing needles and a holding member for holding the destaticizing member, and to an image forming apparatus incorporating such a destaticizing device.
Conventionally, in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a toner image is carried on the surface of an image carrier such as a photosensitive drum, an intermediary transfer belt, or the like; then the toner image carried on the surface of the image carrier is transferred to a recording medium; then the recording medium is cleared of static electricity by a destaticizing device so as to be separated from the surface of the image carrier; then the recording medium separated from the image carrier is fed into a fixing device; then the toner image is fixed to the recording medium by the fixing device; and then the recording medium is conveyed to a discharge tray or the like.
For example, one known destaticizing device includes a destaticizing member which has a plurality of destaticizing needles protruding toward the recording medium, a holding member which holds the destaticizing member, and a body portion to which the holding member is attached. Typically, the destaticizing member is stuck to the holding member with double-sided tape or the like to suppress undulation (sag), and the holding member is secured to the body portion with screws. When a voltage is applied to the destaticizing member, a discharge current passes from the destaticizing needles to the recording medium that has passed across the image carrier; the recording medium is thus destaticized and is separated from the image carrier.